Star Trek: The Last of Us
by JShepN7
Summary: During the Dominion War, Starfleet became aware of a plan by the Dominion to alter Earth's past using a virus. They assign the Enterprise-E, under the Command of Jean-Luc Picard and his crew, to stop them. Picard and his crew have one goal: find out how will the virus affect the past, and stop it. If they can. First shot at something like this. Let me know if you enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Captain Jean-Luc Picard peered down at Earth through the window of his ready room, his hand briefly brushing the side of the window frame. The idyllic blue marble rotated in harmony beneath him, seemingly unaware of the fate he and his crew had saved it from.

"A companion indeed." The Captain said softly, removing his hand from the window frame and returning to his desk. He picked up a PADD to glance over the soon-to-be finished repair schedule when the door chimed. He sighed and set it down. "Come." He commanded.

"Sir." Commander William Riker nodded and approached the desk. "I'm sorry for intruding. I know you said not to disturb you."

"No, it's fine Will." Picard gestured to the chair at the desk, which Riker promptly sat in. "I was just thinking about what one Dr. Soran said to me before his death."

"About time?" Riker squinted.

"Yes. How he said it was an enemy, then I believed it to be a companion. Look what that companion nearly cost us."

Riker placed his elbows on his knees to lean in closer to his Captain. "Maybe, but we stopped them. The Borg attempted to use time as an enemy, but like a good companion, it came through in the end."

"Indeed." Picard said and nudged his computer to the side. "Repairs are nearly complete, according to Mr. LaForge. We should be setting course for Betazed soon enough."

Riker opened his mouth, but paused before speaking. "Actually sir, Admiral Nechayev requested a meeting with you and I in 20 minutes at Starfleet Command."

Picard heaved a sigh and rubbed his forehead. That was the last name he wanted to hear right now. "Did she say what it's about?" He asked, exasperated.

"No sir. But she did mention that being unable to contact you directly was a minor inconvenience." Will smirked.

"Remind me to apologize to the Admiral for having to speak to you." Picard stood and straightened his uniform.

"No need sir. Speaking with the Admiral is always an honor." Riker said and followed his Captain to the bridge. "You have the bridge Mr. Data."

"Aye sir." The Android nodded as he kept tapping at his console. The Captain and First Officer entered the turbolift nearest to them. "Transporter Room One." Picard ordered. "Is Worf still aboard?"

"Yes sir. The Defiant is pretty beat up. He arrived just before the Admiral called. He wanted to stay at Utopia Planitia until the Defiant is ready to head back to DS9, but he said Starfleet Command suggested he post to the Enterprise for this mission. After that, I heard from Command." Riker leaned against the turbolift wall, debating on something in his head. "Permission to speak freely?" He asked before thinking it through. Picard had to smile at the request.

"Since when do you request permission to speak your mind Number One?"

"Frankly sir, I'm concerned. You've been keeping to yourself since we stopped the Borg in the past. That was three weeks ago. Are you alright?"

Picard crossed his arms and looked at the bearded Commander. Of course everybody knew he had a past with the Borg. It was that past that made Starfleet Command order the Enterprise to stay on the Neutral Zone border and nearly miss the battle. "I've been doing something that Dr. Crusher has told me not to do: replaying the past." He answered with a hint of defiance in his tone. "We had the ability to destroy the Borg, Will."

Riker tilted his chin upward, knowing where his Captain was going. "Hugh."

"Correct. We had the opportunity to rid the Federation of our most mortal enemy. We had the means to end a threat to the entire galaxy. We had the ability to stop the Borg permanently. But no, I let my conscience dictate my actions and took pity on Hugh."

Riker straightened his stance and mirrored Picard's cross-armed stance. "I remember all of us having issue with using Hugh as a weapon. It wasn't just you."

"But the final decision was placed at my feet. I could have ordered Geordi and Beverly to implant the virus and rid us of the Borg. One life, Will. Our decision to save one life nearly cost us everything. Not just Earth, but the entire history of the Federation."

"But we stopped them. You couldn't have possibly known what the Borg would do."

"Yet I knew the Borg would return." Picard said as the turbolift doors swung open. He turned to the Commander before stepping off. "I have always believed in the rights of the individual; the right to exist. But at what point does the single individual need to be placed after the whole?" He began walking down the hall, and Riker followed at his side.

"It depends on the situation, sir. Lal, for example. She was an individual. You fought for her right to exist."

"Yes, but Lal wasn't the key to ending a threat to the entire galaxy." Picard snapped as he entered the transporter room. He turned to Will when the door closed, glancing at the Ensign behind the control panel. She didn't need to hear this discussion. "I believe it's time we find out what the good Admiral wants." He smiled and stepped onto the pad. Riker forced a small nod at the Ensign and stepped onto the pad. He made a mental note to resume this conversation at a better time. "Ensign, beam us to the coordinates in Starfleet Command I sent down to you." He said to the Ensign.

"Yes sir." She nodded and ran her hands up the panel. It was a brief second in blue, then the hall of a floor in Starfleet Command was before them. A Vulcan Lieutenant stood just off the pad. "Captain, Commander." He nodded.

"Lieutenant T'Net." Picard stepped down and shook the Lieutenant's hand. "You received a promotion since I was here last."

"Indeed. The Admirals are waiting." He gestured down the hall before walking.

"Admirals?" Commander Riker asked and followed.

"Yes sir. Admiral Paris has joined Admiral Nechayev for this meeting."

"Must be important." Riker mused and followed the Lieutenant for the short trip down the hall. The Admiral's office was at the end, overlooking San Francisco Bay. The Lieutenant used his thumb to access the small waiting area before the Admiral's office, then pushed the blue chime button near the door. "Good day Captain; Commander." He nodded and exited. The door closed behind him as the door in front of the two officers opened. Admiral Nechayev immediately stood up. "Captain Picard, Mr. Riker, come in." She invited.

"Greetings Admiral." Picard put on his best show smile and extended a hand over the desk. It was taken and he turned to the left to see Admiral Owen Paris give an approving nod.

"Jean-Luc." He said and took the Captain's hand next.

"It's been a while sir." Picard said and sat.

"Since the Maquis incident I believe." Admiral Paris answered and stood behind the desk with Nechayev. Riker sat next to his Captain and Nechayev sat. "Gentlemen, this meeting is classified." She said and placed her hands on the desk. "We have a problem with the Dominion."

"I would agree with that." Riker said.

"It's worse than most know." Paris said and clasp his hands before him. "Starfleet Intelligence estimates full warfare may break out within the next few months."

"How prepared are we?" Picard asked.

"Not enough. By a long shot, not enough. With their foothold in Cardassian space, we can't drive them out without beginning a war we could lose."

"New starships are being produced, but their shipyards are far more efficient than ours." Nechayev pulled her computer near her. "However, we have received intelligence from the Tal Shiar that has been confirmed by Command. Tell us Captain, what do you know of the Xindi Incident?"

"The Xindi incident?" Picard echoed and took a moment to remember. That was long ago, in terms of time, and the Captain's history classes in the Academy. "It was a conflict between Earth and the Xindi before the founding of the Federation. The first Enterprise helped resolve it and laid the foundation for alliances that would lead to the first charter."

"And almost half of the mission logs are still classified." Riker added.

"You're correct Commander, and with good reason." Paris nodded. "Many things happened in that region of space. A lot of it is unconfirmed, and to this day we aren't sure of everything. But one thing is for sure, according to the ship's Captain and First Officer." He nodded to Nechayev, who tapped her computer. "In 2153, Captain Archer says he and his First Officer went back in time to 2004."

"With all due respect-" Riker said, receiving a nod from Paris to continue. "Wasn't Captain Archer known for embellishing his encounters with time travel?"

"That is true, Commander. However, this was confirmed by his Vulcan First Officer, and the readings are still in Command's archives. This occurrence was legitimate." Paris said before nodding for Nechayev to continue, which she did.

"When they arrived in 2004, they found three Xindi scientists producing a bioweapon to be released on Earth. Their plan was to release the bioweapon in the past to destroy humanity's future."

"Just like the Borg attempted last month." Picard mused.

"Correct. And now, we've confirmed the Dominion may be attempting the same thing."

"What?" Riker asked, wide-eyed.

"Our listening posts in the Gamma Quadrant reported several Dominion supply ships entering the Torga System last month. A Klingon Bird-of-Prey scouting the system got close enough to rum some scans while cloaked. They had several graviton generators, multiple tachyon generators, and several dozen liters of bio-mimetic gel." Nechayev turned the computer to show the sensor results. Picard leaned forward and glanced over the material.

"The evidence is hardly conclusive." He said cautiously.

"That's what we thought." Paris said and handed Riker a padd. "Several months ago, we recovered a crashed ship from the surface of Torga Four. It took a while, but when we accessed their computers, we discovered something unsettling. When the ship crashed, it was heading to Torga Six. Apparently there is a facility underground conducting time travel experiments. According to the logs, they have sent three probes through to the past. The last one sent back an image." The Admiral gestured to the padd, which Riker looked at with Picard. It showed a faint but clear image of an old Earth Space Shuttle orbiting Earth. The image made both officers pause, glance at each other, then look up at the Admirals.

"They've gone back to the 20th Century." Picard whispered.

"How do we stop them?" Riker asked, perching on the end of his chair.

"That is up to you." Nechayev said and turned the computer back to her. "The repairs to the Enterprise are complete. Your orders are to go through the Bajoran wormhole, travel to the Torga system, and stop their experiments. If you can gather intelligence, do it. But destroying the base is the priority."

Picard put two fingers to his lips in thought. This could lead to an escalation of hostilities between Starfleet and the Dominion. It could lead to war. But one question was more on his mind. "If I may ask Admiral, why the Enterprise? Other starships are close to Bajor, and other crews have more experience dealing with the Dominion."

"Believe me Captain, you were not our first choice for this assignment." Nechayev smiled in a way that made Picard ill. "If the Defiant were in serviceable shape, we would get it back to Deep Space Nine and set this assignment on Captain Sisko, but he has his hands full at the moment. Also, your crew has invaluable experience dealing with time travel. Your 18th Century encounter with the Devidians, your personal experience stopping the mad doctor with Captain Kirk, and your most recent venture to the past to stop the Borg. Other crews may have more knowledge of the Dominion, but you are a master of the Temporal Prime Directive."

"No argument there." Riker gave a sarcastic smirk. Admiral Nechayev looked at Admiral Paris, who handed Picard a padd.

"Your orders, in writing." He said. "They also temporarily assign Commander Worf to the Enterprise. He was part of the mission where we found the Dominion ship, and he knows their tactics. If all goes well, you have permission to leave him on DS9 to resume his duties there one your mission is complete."

"Understood Admiral." Picard said as he and Riker stood. "Before we depart, how much leeway is given to completing the mission?

"Captain." Nechayev smirked again. "You are ordered to complete this assignment by any means necessary. The Dominion will not be allowed to go back in time to Earth. Also, only your senior staff need to know the details of this mission."

"Agreed." Picard nodded before shaking both Admirals' hands. "The Enterprise will depart immediately."

"Good luck Jean-Luc." Admiral Paris said and clasp Picard's hand in both of his.

"Thank you Admiral." Picard nodded and left the room with Riker. He waited until they were out of the waiting area to speak. "This one doesn't bode well, Will."

"I agree. But it will be good to have Worf back on the bridge." Riker answered.

"Yes it will." Picard said. They both stepped onto the transporter pad again and were encased in blue light.

The Enterprise-E slid through space at warp eight, but the senior staff were nestled comfortably in the conference room. Captain Picard had just finished presenting the mission and their orders, and didn't need to wait long for opinions.

"I knew the Dominion was using that system. It made no sense for a Jem'Hadar ship to be that far away from their space; especially with a Founder onboard." Commander Worf said loudly.

"What actually happened?" Doctor Beverly Crusher asked, leaning away from the booming Klingon.

"We were conducting a survey of Torga Four and their cormaline deposits. I was with Captain Sisko and the away team when a Jem'Hadar ship crashed near us. After several days and failed negotiations with a Vorta, we found a Changeling hiding in the ship. It couldn't hold its shape and perished. The Jem'Hadar killed themselves for allowing their god to die, the Vorta vanished, and we waited several more days for the Defiant to retrieve us and the ship." Worf answered.

"No knowledge of why they crashed?" Geordi LaForge asked.

"No." Worf shook his head. "I should have insisted we take the Defiant. The Gamma Quadrant is not safe."

"That's why I'm glad you're here Mr. Worf." Picard said, leaning on the table. "We've never gone through the wormhole, and having somebody with your experience will be very helpful. In the meantime, Geordi, I want you and Mr. Worf to go over the scans that were taken of the ships. Data, you're going to make calculations for our return to our time, just in case we get stuck like last time. Beverly, you're going to find out what the Dominion could possibly produce with these supplies."

"With all that bio-mimetic gel, they could produce countless biogenic weapons." The Doctor shook her head in disgust.

"That is why they cannot be allowed to travel back in time. All other concerns are secondary. Dismissed."

The Enterprise dropped out of warp near the edge of the Bajoran system. They had travelled at high warp for several days to reach the mouth of the wormhole as quickly as possible, but there was one last stop to make before heading through. Captain Picard stood in Transporter Room Three as Commander Worf entered. "You asked for me sir?"

"Yes Mr. Worf." Picard stepped forward. "I thought you'd like to be here for this. Starfleet Command has assigned us another crewman for this journey."

"Sir?" The Klingon asked. Captain Picard tapped his combadge. "Mr. Data?"

"The runabout is off our port bow sir." Data's voice answered.

"Excellent." Picard nodded to the ensign behind the transporter console. She ran her hands up the console and the transporter activated.

"Bloody hell." An Irish accent mumbled.

"Chief." Worf said loudly.

"Mr. O'Brien." Picard stepped forward to shake his former crewmember's hand. "Welcome aboard the Enterprise-E."

"Thank you sir. I must say she's a sight to behold. Commander." The Chief shook Worf's hand. "We've missed you on DS9."

"And I have missed my duties there. How are things?" Worf asked.

"Nothing out of the usual. Jadzia did want me to relay to you how displeased she is that you aren't back yet." The Chief gave a beaming grin as Worf gave a discontented look.

"Jadzia?" Picard asked Worf, who sighed. "A friend."

"Bha!" O'Brien laughed and walked out of the transporter room with the two commanding officers. "How's the Defiant?"

"Much better." Worf answered.

"Glad to hear. When do I get to know why Starfleet's temporarily put me back on the Enterprise?"

"Mr. Worf will brief you as he takes you to your quarters. I wish we had time to catch up, but as usual-" Picard sighed and shook O'Brien's hand again.

"Duty calls, eh?" The Chief smiled. "It's good to be back; even to see the new Enterprise."

"Hopefully you and Geordi can find some time to talk about her. But for now, Mr. Worf, take the Chief to guest quarters. I'll be on the bridge."

"Yes sir." Worf said and walked off with the Chief, who slapped the Klingon on the back. "So, Quark says you owe him latnium?"

The bridge had been quiet for several minutes. It had taken three days to reach the Torga system, and the ship had just dropped out of warp on the edge of the system. They had encountered no Dominion ships en route, and it was oddly quiet. Captain Picard had ordered the ship to drop out of warp behind the farthest planet and immediately go into low power mode to reduce their sensor signature. "Report Data."

"We are in grey mode sir. There is no Jem'Hadar activity in this system. The nearest vessel is a Karemma transport approximately 2.3 light-years away, travelling at warp six away from the system."

"The Karemma are traders and part of the Dominion. They may have offloaded supplies to the research facility." Worf offered from the tactical post.

"Any readings from Torga Four?" Riker asked.

"Very faint tachyon particles. The planet appears to have a small encampment on the surface." Data reported.

"The planet was uninhabited when we were last here." Worf said.

"What sort of encampment?" Picard asked.

`"Difficult to say at this distance sir." Data offered. "However, I am not detecting any high resolution scanning equipment. I believe we can approach the planet at a distance."

"Make it so helm. Half impulse. Mr. Worf, make sure-" Picard was cut off by an alarm from Data's console. "Report."

"I am reading a surge of tachyons approximately 530,000 kilometers away from the planet." Data's hands flew over the console to get more readings. Riker turned his small display to examine the readings for himself.

"It's similar to the technique used by the Borg. I'd say they're sending another probe through."

Picard stood and slowly stood in the middle of the bridge, staring at the faint tear in space. "Is the portal active?" He asked.

"It appears to be functional sir." Data reported. "I'm reading a small vessel ascending from the surface."

"Onscreen." The screen displayed a Jem'Hadar fighter heading up from the surface.

"A Jem'Hadar ship." Worf growled.

"Lifesigns?" Riker asked.

"I am reading signs of life, but it is not possible to get an exact reading from this distance and our current power levels." Data answered.

Picard sighed, going through the scenarios in his head. They were either scanning the aperture of the portal for research, or they were heading back in time. "We can't risk exposing ourselves yet. Can we get closer?" He asked.

"A single Jem'Hadar fighter is no threat to the Enterprise." Worf boasted.

"But they can warn the settlement below and get reinforcements. I'm not eager for a fight with backup three days away." Riker said and looked at the screen.

"The ship is emitting tachyon radiation. Curious." Data said, turning to Captain Picard. "Sir, I believe they are entering the portal."

"Damn it." Riker hissed and stood quickly, going over to Picard. "Did we arrive in time to see them go back, like the Borg?"

"Let's not wait Number One. Red alert!" Picard ordered, going back to his seat. The lights dimmed and the red alert pulses began. Picard tapped a button on the edge of his chair. "Mr. LaForge, I need everything we've got to the impulse engines now, without delay."

"On it Captain!" LaForge answered.

"Helm, intercept that ship." Picard gripped his seat as the Enterprise hummed back to life.

"Worf, keep an eye out for any signals being broadcast from the surface." Riker said, looking at his display.

"Aye sir."

"Three minutes to intercept." Helm reported.

"The craft will enter the rift in two minutes, 34 seconds sir." Data offered, slight trepidation in his android voice.

"Mr. LaForge I need more speed!" Picard snapped.

"Fusion reactors at 93% capacity. I'm giving you more Captain I just need a moment!" Geordi answered. A few seconds ticked by that felt like minutes. "Fusion reactors at 97%. Impulse is as hot as she can get sir."

"Time to intercept: Two minutes, 24 seconds sir." Helm announced.

"The vessel will be inside the portal 9 seconds before us sir." Data countered.

"Can we do a warp burst?" Riker offered.

"Negative sir. We would overshoot the target by 19,000 kilometers. We are too close." Data answered. Picard strained his eyes on the ship, attempting to pull it back with his vision. "Suggestions?"

"We will be in weapons range in time to destroy the craft." Worf offered.

"No." Picard answered immediately. "We want to see where they are going. Also, destroying the ship may send debris into the past. We don't know how far back they are going."

"The vessel has seen us sir. They are going to full thrusters." Data said, his voice elevated. Picard tapped the end of his armrest again. "Mr. LaForge?"

"I figured you would ask Captain. I'm bringing the backup fusion reactors online now." Geordi answered.

"Good man." Riker smirked briefly. The Enterprise continued hurtling through the system toward the tear. Data's console blared again.

"The vessel is 20 seconds from the apature. We are 26 seconds away."

"Tractor beam!" Picard jumped out of his seat. Worf quickly tapped his console before letting out a snarl. "Tachyon radiation is interfering with the emitters. I do not have time to compensate."

"The ship is entering the rift." Data said.

"Didn't we just do this?" Riker sighed.

"Follow them helm. Let's see what they're up to." Picard quickly went back to his seat. The Enterprise hit the rift and barely shuddered. A green flash happened on the screen, and the blackness of space took over the screen. Data began tapping at his workstation, then Earth appeared.

"Damn." Riker muttered. Picard stood slowly, straightening his uniform. "Position?" He asked, knowing the answer.

"Earth, sir." Data answered with hesitation.

"Time?"

"A moment, sir." Data answered. Picard looked at Riker. "Will?" His first officer was looking at the console on his seat. Suddenly his jaw squared and he stood. "No Luna colony, no Mars colonies, no com traffic." He reported grimly. Picard's mouth dropped slightly as he turned to look at Earth. How bad was this situation? "Data?!" He snapped.

"A moment sir. According to atmospheric readings and stellar positioning, we are approximately in the beginning months of 2034."

"World War Three." Riker huffed and crossed his arms. The turbolift opened and Chief O'Brien stepped out. Picard looked at him and gestured toward an empty console along the wall. "We need to know where the Jem'Hadar ship is." He ordered as O'Brien sat at his new station.

"Curious." Data said in a tone that was never good. "There should be heavy radioactive isotopes in the atmosphere from the use of nuclear weapons. I am reading none."

"What?" Riker asked, incredulous . He went over and glanced at Data's console. "That's impossible Data. 200 million people should be dead from nuclear radiation at this point."

"I am aware sir. However, there are no radioactive isotopes in the atmosphere, no radiation, no impact sites, nothing. It is as if the war is not taking place."

"Uh oh." O'Brien said out loud, making Picard turn to him. "Chief?"

"Sorry sir. I was looking at the scans of Earth, and I've seen this before. A couple years ago, Captain Sisko, Doctor Bashir and Dax got stuck in 2024. Even then, with a tricorder, I could pick up old radio waves from the surface. I'm not reading any at all here."

Picard turned back to the screen and sighed. Something had gone terribly wrong. At least with the Borg, the solution was immediately in front of them. These questions had no answers, except one. "Mr. Data, lifesigns?"

"Lifesigns approximately… 2.4 billion." The air on the bridge went thick. Picard took a step forward in disbelief. Even with the war, there should have been at least 7 billion lifesigns. "Two billion?" He whispered, staring at Earth on the screen. He barely heard the turbolift doors hiss.

"Captain?" Counselor Deanna Troi asked softly.

"What is it Deanna?" Riker asked, stepping toward her.

"Will, something is very wrong."

"We have noticed!" Worf belted.

"No, I mean there is something seriously wrong. I'm being overwhelmed with terror and pain. It's nearly unbearable. The population is in great turmoil." The Counselor walked over to Worf's station and put a bracing hand on it.

"Data, analyze the lifesigns." Picard ordered.

"Curious. While the lifesigns are human, approximately 63% are heavily distorted. A small percentage is reading as barely human." Data looked up at Picard. "I have a hypothesis."

"Go on." Picard prodded.

"The Jem'Hadar vessel entered the rift seconds before we did. Since we did not enter the rift at the exact same time, they may have arrived before us, completed their mission, and we arrived years after their success."

Picard brought a hand up to cup his chin. He knew Data was right, and he had no idea how to fix this. Riker came up next to Picard. "Sir?" He asked.

"I'm open to suggestions, Will." The Captain said without moving his eyes from the screen.

"If Data is right, we need to find out when then Jem'Hadar went back and stop them."

"Agreed. But do we know when they went back?" Picard looked at Data for the answer, and he jerked his head once to the left.

"There are no vessels in range sir."

"I suggest we scan the surface for any signs of a craft or alien lifesigns that should not be there." Worf spoke up.

"Good idea Commander. Mr. Data, make it so."

"Yes sir. Such a precise scan of the entire surface will take several minutes." Data turned and began working. Picard and Riker went back to their respective seats and looked at Counselor Troi, who had managed to sit in the seat to the right of Picard.

"The people down there are miserable; trapped. I'm sensing fear, hopelessness, and loss. It's as if the population is under a blanket of suffering."

"The entire population?" Riker asked.

"I believe so. Most are in terrible pain."

"Hurry up with that scan Mr. Data." Picard prodded before turning back to Troi. "Do you believe it's safe to beam down?"

"I'm not sure." She admitted. Picard tapped his console. "Doctor Crusher to the bridge, on the double. Data?" He stood and looked at the android.

"Yes sir. I am detecting duranium fragments and deuterium residue on the floor of the Pacific Ocean. It is approximately 24 kilometers off the coast of Fiji. According to these readings, it could be the remains of the Jem'Hadar ship. Oceanic decay indicates it has been there for approximately 22 years."

"Since 2012?" Riker asked. "That doesn't mean they didn't take their actions before or after the ship crashed."

"We all know where the answers lie." Picard sighed and stood. "Will, Data, Counselor, Chief, you're with me. Mr. Worf, you're in command of the Enterprise. Continue working on finding out more evidence of when this may have happened."

"Aye sir." Worf nodded as Dr. Crusher came onto the bridge. "You called, Jean-Luc?"

"Yes Doctor." He went over to the aft display with her and those summoned in his party. "We haven't detected anything that would be hazardous to our health down there. I wanted to be sure." The Doctor and Data spent a moment at the console, going over the sensor readings.

"I'm not seeing anything specific Captain, but I'm reading several small pockets of what look like fungus growths. We should avoid those areas, but for the most part, it's Earth's atmosphere." Crusher answered.

"Good. Let's get to the transporter room." Picard said and headed toward the turbolift. "Computer, Mid-21st Century clothing, again."

The landing party assembled in transporter room three in their 21st Century attire. Each had hand phasers and a tricorder, and Dr. Crusher made sure to bring a medkit with her. Picard was the last to arrive, and he went to the transporter console with Data and Chief O'Brien. "We need a reasonable place to beam down." He said, going over a topography map.

"I was giving that some thought sir." O'Brien said and tapped a few buttons. "We don't want to get too close to civilization, but close enough to get answers. I'm reading some faint power readings here in North America. And by faint, I mean very faint. They appear to be coming from a power plant on this river"

"I concur with the chief." Data nodded." A beam-in point approximately three kilometers away is recommended."

"Make it so." Picard nodded and stepped onto the padd, looking at the team first. "Remember, this is not the Earth we know. We need answers people." He turned and nodded to the operator. "Energize."

The transporter room vanished, and the team materialized in some very green woods. There was the far away sound of birds, and a sound of a rodent running away, but there was mostly silence.

"Fascinating." Data said quietly and took out his tricorder. Picard glanced around and inhaled, noticing how clean the air smelt. It didn't smell this clean when they had visited 2063 a month earlier.

"It's so green." Chief O'Brien said and stepped a few feet away.

"It's peaceful. The nature hides the grief surrounding it." Counselor Troi said, but still managed a smile. Data walked in front of her with his tricorder. "Anything yet?" She asked the Commander.

"Negative Counselor." His tricorder beeped, and he pointed it behind them. "I'm reading lifesigns approaching rapidly. They are human, but heavily distorted." His head twitched to the left, his android hearing picking up sounds before human ears. "Captain, judging from their approach, I would assume they are hostile."

"Phasers on stun." Picard ordered, the team drawing their weapons. They could soon hear what Data heard: anguished, hellish groans, and distinct clicking noises.

"What the hell are they?" O'Brien whispered.

"They are in agony." Troi answered, a hand clutching her phaser. The sounds got closer, and the figures appeared from the mist. One stumbled about 30 feet in front of them. He was human, but hunched over. His eyes were red, moaning loudly, clothes tattered. Another stumbled next to him, barely clothed, and grotesque growths emerging from its head. It lurched forward, clicking.

"God Almighty." Riker whispered in horror. Another agonized human came out and stared at the away team. It howled and ran at them, the other two following.

"Stop! We're here to help you!" Picard called, raising his phaser. They did not heed his calls, and he fired. Data and O'Brien followed suit. The two moaning humans fell, but the one with growths from the head stumbled back. It screeched, flailed its arms and charged. Dr. Crusher and Data fired, and it fell onto its back, shrieking in pain. Riker took a step forward and fired, silencing the creature. The silence returned. Not even the birds were chirping now.

"What have they done?" O'Brien asked out loud. Captain Picard blinked for a moment before looking at the Doctor. "Beverly, scan it carefully. Number one, Data, cover her." They moved to obey the command, and Picard went over to the Counselor. "What are you getting?" He asked.

"They are alive Captain. They're trapped inside their bodies. Whatever happened to them has stuck them in their bodies." She answered. Picard gestured for the Chief to stay near the Counselor. He nodded and moved over to her while the Captain went to the Doctor, who was scanning the mutated human. "What is it?"

"Something I never thought I'd see." Crusher sighed and closed her tricorder. "I need a more detailed analysis, but this fungus growing from his head is natural."

"Natural?" Riker echoed.

"Yes. It's a cordyceps fungus."

"Cordyceps?" Picard asked Data, who tilted his head to access his memory banks.

"Cordyceps: a genus of ascomycete fungi that includes approximately 408 species. They are endoparasitoids, parasitic mainly on insects and other arthropods. They are considered entomopathogenic fungi; with a select few being parasitic on other fungi."

"So they prey on other fungus and insects. Any record of the fungus preying on humans?" Picard asked.

"No." Dr. Crusher answered for Data. She stood and looked at the Captain. "Jean-Luc, there is no way this fungus could naturally affect humans. It would need millennia to naturally evolve to even infect a dog or cat.

"Agreed." Data nodded. "The fungus exists on Earth as we know it, preying on small insects. I have no indication of any mental function beyond that of a basic insect being impaired by this virus."

Picard turned away and looked around the forest. All of his experience and training immediately clicked, and he quickly stamped down the anger inside. "They modified a fungus that already existed on Earth to attack its population." He said with grudging awe.

"A fair hypothesis sir." Data nodded.

"Jean-Luc, in order to cure this, I would need-"

"A cure?" Picard snapped and whipped toward her. "I'm not looking for a cure Doctor. I'm looking for a point of origin and stopping this from happening. Most of Earth has been wiped out. That means Zefram Cochrane won't be making his warp flight in thirty years."

"And our future is gone." O'Brien added.

"Precisely Chief. We need to-" A branch cracked, and the team turned quickly. There stood a man with a long rifle. He was wearing a blue jacket and looked aged beyond his years. The rifle was pointed at Counselor Troi, who didn't move. Another branch cracked and a larger, older man came out with what the team knew as a shotgun, aimed at Chief O'Brien. Behind the man jumped a small girl with auburn hair. She was no older than 15, and had a pistol aimed at Picard's chest. She tilted her head and stared at him.

"Who the fuck are you guys?"


	2. Chapter 2

The away team stayed unmoving, hands out at their sides. Counselor Troi glanced over at Data, who had his arms in the same position. "This is not an ideal situation." He said to the back of his Captain's head.

"I would tend to agree with you." Picard said, unflinching in the face of the guns.

"I said, who the _fuck_ are you guys?" The girl snapped again. Picard looked down at her, then at the man next to her. He was aged, with a barely-kept beard. His clothes showed wear, and his shotgun was still aimed at Chief O'Brien. Picard kept his body firm as he looked at the man. "My name is Jean-Luc. We mean you no harm. We're passing through the area."

"Y'all seem dressed pretty nice." The man said in a southern American accent. "No packs, no food. I ain't buying it. You got a camp setup nearby?"

"No. I assure you we're moving through the area and came across these…." Picard glanced down at the people infected with the fungus, not sure what to call them. "These people. We attempted to ask them to stop but they didn't."

The man scoffed. "That's a new one: ask the infected to stop."

"Yea, why haven't we thought of that?" The girl said, moving around and staring at Dr. Crusher's medkit. "What's that?"

"Medicine. I'm a doctor. We were trying to help these people." Crusher smiled softly and the girl stepped back.

"Fireflies?" She asked, glancing up at the man before looking back at the medkit.

"No, I don't think so. They ain't got the guns or the gear. Speaking of gear, what exactly is that?" The man quickly pointed his shotgun at the phaser on Picard's belt before refocusing it on the Chief's chest.

"It is a tool, like the one on the opposite side." Picard stuck his thumb out to his tricorder. "What's your name?" He asked. Nobody answered. The two men kept their guns trained, but the girl kept moving and staring at them. Picard sighed. "Sir, I'm-"

"You in charge?" The man asked.

"Yes. I'm the leader. These people are my followers."

"Alright boss man, here's what's gonna happen." He cocked his shotgun loudly to emphasize his point. "You're gonna slowly toss those tools on the ground. Any other movement, and you're gonna have a really bad day. Clear?"

Picard glanced around with his eyes. Data could possibly take out one, but the other could do too much damage. And if they intended to kill the away team, they could have done it already. His options were limited. "Alright. We'll do as you say. Everybody toss your tools to the ground."

"Sir?" Data asked, tilting his head and blinking.

"They won't harm us." Picard said, slowly taking his tricorder out and tossing it on the ground. The rest of the team followed suit. The girl approached Dr. Crusher cautiously, aiming her pistol at the Doctor's head. "Throw me your medicine."

Dr. Crusher glanced toward Picard, then back at the girl. "I'm not sure you'll know how to-"

"Toss me the fucking medicine or I'll blow your fucking head off." The girl demanded. Dr. Crusher took the medkit off from her arm and tossed it down. "Enjoy." She sighed with heavy sarcasm. The girl took the kit and went back to the man with the shotgun. "It's fucking heavy."

"We'll deal with that later. Now, the last ones." The man gestured toward the phasers. Picard knew it would be an issue if they picked them up. "What's your name?" He asked the man, who steadied the aim on his shotgun.

"Jean-Luc, that's my name. The Doctor is Beverly."

"Miles." Chief O'Brien said stiffly, not taking his eyes off the gun trained on him.

"I'm Deanna. And he's right. We just want to help." Counselor Troi said. "But I know you'll kill us if you have to." She added. Picard knew that was for his benefit. She sensed they would kill, but not immediately.

"And what about you albino?" The man aiming at Troi finally spoke, looking at Data. He had a thicker southern American accent than the other man, and his frame was thinner.

"My name is Data." The android answered without hesitation.

"The hell kinda name is that?" The man asked.

"It's a nickname." Riker said, not moving. "I'm William."

"Ok Bill." The shotgun man said, making Riker smirk. "You know our names. Isn't it fair if we know yours?" He added.

"Toss the fucking tools and we'll see." The girl snapped. Picard gave a subtle nod and tossed his phaser down. The rest did the same. Thankfully, nobody moved toward them. "Again, Jean-Luc."

The shotgun man hesitated for a moment before lowering it. It was still ready to fire, but the barrel was now aimed down. "Joel. Now, you gonna level with us?"

Picard sighed. "Joel, that may be difficult to explain. We're explorers. We want to know what happened here."

"What do you mean?" Joel asked.

"We want to know what happened to these people." Dr. Crusher said.

"Looks like you took care of 'em." The other man said.

"No, no. I mean, how did they contract this illness?"

"Probably ran into some spores, or a pack of runners is my guess." Joel said, glancing at the bodies. He squinted, staring at Picard. "Something ain't right about you, boss man. You're all just too out of place here."

"In what way?" Picard asked, trying to get whatever information he could.

"You ain't military. That's for damn sure. You ain't bandits and you say you ain't fireflies. And that albino dude you got is giving me the creeps."

"Ah. Respectfully sir, I could not be albino. The pigmentation of my skin is-"

"That's the shit I'm talking about." Joel scoffed as he cut off Data's speech. Picard smiled but still didn't move. "Is there anyway-"

"Holy shit!" The girl yelled. Everybody turned to see her jump away from Crusher's medkit, holding the open medical tricorder. It was blinking and chirping.

"Damn." Riker whispered.

"The hell is that thing?" Joel demanded, raising his shotgun again.

"It's a medical device. It helps me diagnose people." Crusher offered.

"I ain't seen shit like that, even back before the outbreak." The other man said.

"But it's fucking cool." The girl smiled and waved it around.

"Drop it Ellie. We don't know what it is." Joel commanded.

"It's a fucking twinkling box. Relax." She pulled the small diagnostic device out the back. It too lit up. "Awesome." She said and waved it in the air.

"I can show you how to use it." Crusher said. Picard and Riker immediately turned to stare her down. She cautiously made a sidestep over to her Captain. "No prime directive lectures right now." She said through a forced smile.

"You really a doctor?" The other man asked.

"I am." Crusher answered. "Are people of yours sick or injured?" She didn't get an answer. The man circled his way over to Joel and the girl, who was apparently named Ellie. The men began talking in hushed tones while Ellie kept pushing buttons on the tricorder. Picard wasn't going to let the chance pass. "Counselor?" He whispered.

"They are very confused, and I believe they will kill us, but there is a sense of wonder and good from the girl. The men are hostile but I don't sense any deception." She whispered back.

"Captain, what are we doing here?" Riker asked. "They are going to have our equipment, phasers, Beverly's medkit."

"I know Will. But if we're successful, this timeline will be erased. We may have to sacrifice the prime directive in the short term-"

"Alright." Picard was cut off as Joel spoke. "This is what's gonna happen, boss man: your Doctor is gonna prove that she is one. We got a couple wounded that could use a real doctor. So you show us some good faith, and we'll talk."

"Agreed." Picard nodded. The other man took out a primitive radio. "Maria, get down to the meeting spot. Bring a couple guys with you. Make sure they're armed." He said into the device.

"Why?" A distorted female voice asked.

"With a quickness." He finished and clipped the radio to his belt. "I'm Tommy."

"A pleasure. I'm sure we will all benefit from this arrangement." Picard smiled.

"We'll see about that." Joel muttered and glanced down at the girl, who now had a hypospray. "The hell is that?" He asked.

"I don't know." Ellie said and pulled out the vial of medicine loaded inside. She shook it and stared.

"It's an injector. That's a sedative." Crusher answered. Riker sighed loudly to voice his displeasure.

"I hear you, Commander." The Chief said, keeping a false smile to avoid getting shot. Quick footsteps approached, and a middle-aged woman with blonde hair came jogging up. She was followed by three men, all armed. She immediately went over to Tommy. "What the hell is this?" She asked, staring at the away team.

"We ain't sure yet." Tommy said, lowering his gun. "I talked it over with Joel. The lady there says she's a Doctor. She's got some tools, so-"

"Yea, look at this shit!" Ellie jumped over to her, holding the tricorder up. The woman took it from Ellie and stared at it, turning it over as it beeped. "This has got to be some military shit." She snarled.

"I don't think they're military." Joel said. "But we're gonna find out, aren't we, boss man?" He said and looked at Picard.

"Oh yes. We'll cooperate and help your wounded, if you help us by answering some questions." The Captain answered.

"Let's get a move on then." Joel said, scooping up Picard and Riker's phasers. Two men got on the left side, the blonde woman and Tommy brought up the rear, one man lead the way, and Joel and Ellie stayed to the right of the away team, who marched quietly in step. "Captain-" Data began.

"Jean-Luc. Call me Jean-Luc as long as we are down here. That's an order."

"Very well, Jean-Luc." Data said awkwardly. Riker smirked but said nothing. "Jean-Luc, what is the next course of action?"

Picard sighed heavily. "I suppose we'll find out."

The group marched for about 15 minutes. The away team did not speak; choosing to listen to the conversations of their escorts to see if any information could be gleaned. Picard was counting on Data's android memory to record everything to the word. Even without Data, he could make some fair assumptions: this fungus had afflicted Earth decades ago, Tommy and the Maria woman were a couple, their supplies were running low, and the foul-mouthed Ellie was Joel's daughter. He wasn't sure how they all came to be together, but that was something for another time. The sound of a flowing river became stronger, and soon the smell of fresh water washed over them. They came out to a riverbed directly next to a tall, concrete wall. Behind the wall were ancient turbines moving inside a brick building.

"Bloody hell." Chief O'Brien marveled.

"Chief?" Riker asked.

"I think I know what this is." The Irishman said, tilting his head to take in the construct. They are using the river to power the motors to generate power. This technology hasn't been used on Earth in two hundred years."

"It appears to be a hydroelectric powerplant, similar to the Hoover Dam exhibit during its active period." Data added. Picard nodded, putting the pieces together in his head. The leading man approached a large metal door, which opened. They entered and were walked over to a small wooden shack that appeared to be where the guards stood watch. Two more guards came over to ensure the strangers were monitored. The entire area had a metallic and old feel to it. Joel approached Picard, his shotgun finally slung behind his back. "Ok boss man, y'all are gonna wait here while the Doctor tends to the wounded. If y'all want some water or something, we'll get it for you."

"Thank you." Picard glanced at Dr. Crusher. He wasn't about to let her go off alone, regardless of what Deanna sensed. "However, I can't let my Doctor go alone with you."

"Well I'm glad you agree. You're gonna saddle up and come with." Joel smirked. Picard returned the look. "Saddle up?"

"Yep. Got a problem?"

"Oh no. I'm a rider myself. It's too bad I don't have my personal saddle." He turned to Data, Chief O'Brien, Riker and Troi. "Comply with their wishes." He said. Riker squinted and stepped forward. "Are you going with the Doctor, Jean-Luc?" He asked.

"I am. And I'll thank you to keep it at that, Will."

"It's alright. We're safe here." Troi said, looking at Picard. "They won't harm us if we're calm."

"So I thought. Beverly." He gestured for her, and she stepped next to him and up to Joel. "I'm going to need my medical kit."

"Right. Ellie?!" The girl came running over, wide-eyed, with the medkit. "You alright kiddo?" Joel asked, his voice softening.

"Look what this shit can do!" Ellie pulled out a silver tool with a red tip. Dr. Crusher sighed as she recognized the dermal regenerator.

"Put that back." Joel scolded.

"Hold out your arm."

"Jesus, Ellie-"

"Come on!" She pleaded. Joel sighed and held his right arm out. Ellie pushed the handle, making a soft blue glow come from the device. She ran it over a shallow scar on Joel's right forearm. After a few seconds, the scar vanished. Joel blinked rapidly, brushing the area with his hand. "What the hell?" He muttered, taking the device from Ellie.

"It's called a dermal regenerator. It's experimental." Crusher said, giving Picard an apologetic look. He held up a hand, sensing an opportunity. "All of our gear is experimental."

"I ain't ever seen nothing like that shit. And I mean, ever." Joel said, cautiously handing it back to Ellie, who stared up at him. "Lift you shirt up."

"Seriously?" He scoffed.

"Yea, come on." She stuck her arm out toward his right side, but he swatted it away.

"No. Not here." He snapped, gesturing for Picard and Beverly to follow. They complied and headed to an open area near the front gate. Three horses were waiting.

"Jean-Luc, am I getting on a horse?" Crusher snapped.

"Oh yes, you are." Picard smiled and went over to the brown and white one, gently stroking its neck. In a different context, he would relish seeing Beverly on a horse.

"You said you ride?" Joel asked, tossing a saddle up on the next one.

"Since I was a boy." Picard said, picking up a saddle and throwing it up on the back of the horse.

"The Doctor is riding with me. Tommy's got you." Joel said and stuck his hand out to Beverly. Picard watched in amusement as she wobbled, but pushed herself onto the horse.

"Come on Mr. Clean. Up." Tommy nudged Picard, who expertly mounted the horse with no effort. "Not bad." Tommy commented and got behind him. Ellie jumped on the last horse and flicked the reigns. The gate was opened by two guards, and the trio galloped off. The Captain couldn't help a smile as Beverly wobbled to keep the hose straight, then struggled as they wound down a small hill, which flattened out to another walled settlement about 10 minutes later. They stopped outside the gate, and Tommy took out his radio.

"Tommy. Open up." He said. A few seconds later the gates opened and they rode in. "Welcome to Jackson." Tommy said as the gates closed. They rode to the center of the settlement. Picard marveled at the sight. It was like an ancient west town with electricity, in 2034. The resourcefulness was remarkable.

"We're here." Joel said and stopped near what appeared to be a shed. Dr. Crusher quickly slid off the horse and brushed her pants off, a look of annoyance on her face. Picard held a smile back and dismounted without much effort. "Are you alright?" He asked the Doctor.

"Barely." She said and brushed off a sleeve. "In here." Joel said and opened the shed door. They entered, and Picard could smell a hint of infection and rotting flesh in the air. A small desk was off to the left side. Bunk beds were along the right, and four cots were in the center. Three men were on three of the cots. Two were obviously suffering. Dr. Crusher's ethics kicked in and she immediately went over to them. "What happened?" She demanded.

"Damn bandits ambushed two of them couple days ago. Old Aaron there is getting up there in years and this wet weather don't agree with him well." Tommy answered, going over for a look. The Doctor reached out for her kit. Ellie hesitated, but handed it to her. She took the tricorder and ran the scanner over the first man. "He has a punctured kidney and sepsis is starting to set in."

"The hell can you tell that?" Tommy scoffed, leaning in. Dr. Crusher ignored him and scanned the next man. He was the older man with greying hair. His breaths were raspy and shallow. "Upper respiratory infection. At his age and this weather, he could die from pneumonia." She scanned the next. "Gunshot wound, internal bleeding, rib fragments scattered into his left lung." She closed the tricorder and looked at Picard for instruction. Joel and Ellie stood there, speechless for once. "Joel?" Picard asked.

"Yea?" Joel answered, not taking his eyes off Crusher.

"I need you to trust me."

"How the hell can that thing tell her all that?" Joel demanded.

"Like I said, experimental technology."

"Can she help them?" Ellie asked.

"The stab wound and respiratory infection can be treated with my kit. The last man can be patched up, but not fully healed unless I had my office." She piqued her eyebrow at Picard, who wasn't about to have that conversation yet.

"Well shit, if you can save them, have at it." Tommy prodded. Dr. Crusher fully opened her medkit and set to work. Picard turned to Joel, who was still staring. "Could we talk in private?" He asked. Joel turned to him and sighed. "Yea." He led Picard outside. When they shut the door, Joel turned to him with a hard stare. "You gonna level with me now?"

Picard hesitated. He hadn't know this man long enough yet, but he had a feeling there was some rapport established. "I can't tell you the entire truth. But I can tell you this: we're on the same side, my people are no threat to you, and we can help you."

"What do you want from us?"

"Information." Picard leaned against the side of the makeshift hospital. The old wood creaked in protest. "I'm going to ask some very strange, and very obvious questions. But it's important you answer me like I know nothing."

Joel sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. Picard sensed he was a man with great burdens who was nearing the end of his rope, but kept going. Joel pulled a wooden box up and sat on it, holding his arms out. "Alright boss man. Ask."

"How long ago did this illness introduce itself?" As expected, Joel stared at him like he had sprouted fungus from his head, but didn't make a comment. "About 22 years ago now, maybe 23." He said honestly.

"Alright. How did it come about?"

"Damned if I know. News started talking about a mutated fungus infecting people, they went insane. Next thing you know, whole damn country's gone, then the planet."

"Do you know where it originated?" Picard asked. Joel scoffed and stood up quickly. "Now what the hell questions are these. You're older than me; you should remember this shit.

"Yes, yes. But I can't tell you." Picard took a step and placed a hand on Joel's shoulder. "I need you to trust me."

"Boss man, I ain't even know you two hours ago, and now you're asking me shit you should know better than me." The door was slung open and Ellie came out, her mouth gaping. "What?" Joel snapped and jumped up.

"She pushed that injector thing against Mike's neck, and all that shit around the stab wound just sort of faded away, and then she put something else against his neck and she used that skin fixer thing and there's no scar or anything and then she did something else and now he's sleeping!" She ran her words together so fast Picard could barely keep up, but Joel seemed to understand perfectly.

"So Mike is gonna be ok?" He asked slowly. Tommy came out, his gun behind his back. "Son of a bitch is gonna be more than ok. She's working on Aaron now." He stepped in front of Picard and shook his head. "Just where do you come from?" He asked, incredulous. Picard gave an understanding smile. Not yet.

"Personally, I'm from France. The Doctor was raised in Scotland, William in Alaska. As far as our-"

"We got bandits!" A voice yelled. Joel whipped out his shotgun and Ellie spun with her pistol. "Motherfuckers!" She hissed. Picard stepped back and Tommy pulled out his radio. "How many?!"

"They're heading for the plant! There's-" A gunshot rang out over the radio. "Hank?! Hank?! Damn it!" Tommy swore, his voice breaking. "Ellie, stay here. You'll be safe." Joel said, pulling out shotgun shells.

"Fuck that! I'm not-"

"Stay here!" He put his hands on her shoulders and positioned her in front of the door. "Watch the Doctor. Keep her safe. We're gonna have more wounded." He handed her a pistol magazine.

"Fuck it." She snapped and took it from his hand Joel looked at Picard, seeming to argue with himself internally. "Screw it." He said and took off his pack. He reached in and took out a phaser, handing it to Picard. "I know a gun when I see one. Wanna prove your worth?"

Picard took the phaser without hesitation. "You're going to have a lot of questions for me afterward." He warned.

"I don't give a shit." Joel hissed. Picard reached up and tapped the combadge hidden in the breast pocket of his jacket. "Picard to Riker."

"Go ahead sir." Riker's voice came through clearly.

"Jesus." Joel looked Picard up and down once. The Captain ignored it. "We're under attack Will."

"Same here."

"Use whatever means necessary to protect yourselves. I repeat: any means necessary to protect yourselves. The Doctor and I are safe."

"Yes sir. It would be easier if we could use our tools." Riker prodded. Picard looked at Joel, who nodded at Tommy, who raised the radio to his lips. "Maria, let the newcomers have their tools to fight off the damn bandits."

"Come again?!" Maria yelled over the radio.

"Give 'em the tools Maria!" Tommy yelled. Picard ducked into the hospital and bent down to Dr. Crusher, handing her his phaser. She looked at it, then up at him. "Jean-Luc-"

"I'll explain later. Don't hesitate to defend yourself."

"No prime directive?" Crusher asked and went back to work. Picard went back outside and took another phaser from Joel. He looked down at Ellie, who was pacing back and forth with her pistol. "You've done this before?" He asked.

"Dude, you have no fucking clue." She said, scanning the area with her eyes. Picard looked toward Joel. "We need a defensive position." He said and clipped the phaser to his belt.

"Way ahead of you." Joel answered and started jogging toward the gate. Picard noticed the women and children were escorted by one male, but most men were running with rifles to designated points.

"We need to know how many we're dealing with." Tommy said as they approached the gate. Picard pressed his combadge. "Picard to _Enterprise_."

"Worf here Captain. We're detecting multiple lifesigns converging on your position."

"How many?" He asked.

"Thirteen approaching your position, nine approaching Commander Riker's."

"Understood. Wait for us to contact you Mr. Worf."

"Captain, I-"

"That's an order. Picard out." He looked at Joel, who just stared at him. "I ain't got time to ask now." He said and headed up the ladder to the lookout spot. Picard followed as Tommy went to the one on the opposite side of the gate. Three bandits ran out of the treeline. Tommy, Joel and two other guards opened fire, but the bandits took cover behind a large boulder. Picard inhaled deeply. This wasn't going in his official report to Starfleet. He set the phaser to level 12, peered over the wall, and fired a sustained phaser burst at the boulder. It exploded after three seconds of being hit with the phaser. The men screamed and were blown back. Picard crouched down next to Joel, who was now arm's length away from Picard, eyes full of terror for the first time. "Jesus!" He yelled. "What the hell is that?!"

"I'll explain later." Picard said quickly, peeking out. He saw two men on a horse. The lead man had a large bottle that was on fire. The Captain raised his phaser and fired directly in front of the horse. A small explosion erupted from the ground and bits of Earth were thrown everywhere. The horse screeched and bucked, sending the two men off. The bottle exploded and engulfed them in flames. The horse ran off as the men screamed, being burned alive. More hostiles emerged from the treeline, and more phaser fire was laid down. The bandits turned and ran as a phaser blast felled a large tree toward them. The gunshots ceased, and the yelling in the trees got farther away before they could no longer be heard. Picard sighed, reset his phaser to level one, and slid it back into the holster. He looked up at Joel, who had his pistol out, but not aimed directly at the captain. "You're gonna tell me what that thing is. Right now, no lies." He said, his voice shaking.

"It's a defensive weapon that uses energy to stop people from attacking." Picard answered without hesitation.

"It's a goddamned laser? How in the hell do you guys even make those now?"

"It isn't easy." Picard sighed. His combadge chirped. "Riker to Picard."

"Go ahead."

"We drove them off after a few phaser blasts. We're now staring at some people with raised weapons who have questions." The tension in Will's voice was obvious. Tommy came up the ladder and glanced at Joel before staring at Picard.

"We need to have a chat."

The rest of the away team was brought to Captain Picard and Joel in the settlement, away from the dam. They no longer had their phasers or tricorders, but the natives were not aiming weapons at them anymore. Fighting off the bandits and Dr. Crusher taking care of the wounded seemed to establish a fragile trust, and Captain Picard was going to build off that. Once his entire team was present in the hospital, Picard glanced over his shoulder. Joel and the others were outside talking, so this may have been his only chance. "What happened?" He asked.

"Four of them came over the wall and shot a guard. I had my phaser and stunned one. The others charged, I stunned them, Data got one coming through the door. It was all over in a minute." Riker answered.

"Jean-Luc, now that they have seen our phasers functioning, they will have questions." Data said.

"We may have to tell them the truth." O'Brien sighed.

"Counselor, how would they take that?" Picard asked Troi.

"I'm not sure Captain. I don't believe they would hurt us, but how-" The Counselor was cut off as Joel came into the room with Tommy and Maria, who stood closer to the group than the two men. "Here's what's up: we know you guys aren't military, and you sure as hell aren't Fireflies. You want our help, you're going to tell us the truth. Now. Not to mention, after your lightning display or whatever that was, I'm sure we're about to be swarmed by bandits, and good luck surviving out there alone. You want answers from us, we need answers from you."

"And that is very fair." Picard said, sitting on the edge of the table. "You've all obviously endured hardships we can't imagine. If I were to tell you the truth, it would seem so preposterous to you, you'd likely kick us out of the encampment."

"You'd be amazed and what we'd be willing to believe lately." Joel grunted. Picard inhaled and looked at the three of them, then glanced at Riker. "Relax Number one." He said with a reassuring smile. The First Officer crossed his arms.

"Sir." He said, obviously unhappy. Picard looked at the three people in front of him. "I was being honest when I said we aren't from around here. Indeed, we're farther away than you realize." He looked at them all before talking a step toward Maria. "We come from, according to your calendar, the year 2373. We've come back in time to correct this viral outbreak, which was caused by an alien race going back in time to infect and end humanity."

"Listen boss man." Joel sniffed, taking a step forward. "I asked for the truth, not a Star Wars story."

"Oh we're telling the truth." Picard said and stood, gesturing to Data. "This man here isn't human. He's an android; an artificially constructed lifeform."

"Bullshit." Tommy spat and put the butt of his rifle on the ground. "Prove it."

Picard smiled. "Very well. Mr. Data?" He asked, causing Data to pause. "Jean-Luc?" He asked.

"Do it, Commander."

"Very well sir." Data turned his back to the group, pushed the back of his head, and revealed an intricate layer of circuits and blinking lights.

"Jesus!" Joel exclaimed and jumped back, putting his hand on his holstered pistol. Maria swayed, and Tommy stood unmoving. Data turned back to the group, unfazed. "As the Captain said, I am an android."

"Yes he is. Counselor Troi here, she is Betazoid."

"I'm a telepath." She clarified. "For example, I know your daughter is leaning against the door to listen and not staying away, as you told her." She smiled at Joel, who turned to the door. He hesitated, then quickly put a hand on the knob and pulled it open.

"Ow fuck!" Ellie fell on her side and looked up at Joel. "What?" She asked as if nothing happened. Joel ignored her and looked at the Counselor. "Can you also tell what I'm thinking?"

"Precise thoughts, not exactly. But I can sense that you're unsure, untrusting-" She looked at Ellie before returning her gaze to Joel. "And that you're very protective of the girl, even though she isn't your real daughter."

"Lady!" Joel yelled, pointing a finger at her. Tommy stuck his arm out to Joel and took a step. Deanna turned to Maria and smiled. "Congratulations."

"For what?" Maria asked warily.

"Your child. I can sense him, or her. They are very healthy." Maria went white and stared at Tommy, who did a double take on Troi. "How the fuck did you….we didn't even figure it out until a few days ago!"

"You didn't tell me? That's bullshit!" Ellie said loudly.

"Everybody shut up!" Joel yelled, now pacing back and forth, staring at the group in front of him, then glancing at Tommy. "You tell anybody else?"

"Ain't nobody know. Just me and Maria." He voice cracked. Picard took a careful step forward, holding his palms out. "I understand this is all shocking to you."

"Yea no shit." Tommy said, his hands shaking.

"The fuck is going on?" Ellie whispered. Deanna looked at her with a sympathetic smile. "You miss your mother, don't you?" She asked.

"What?" Ellie asked, projecting a sense of hostility and fear. "You don't need to get upset."

"I'm not upset lady I'm pissed! You don't talk about my fucking mom!"

"You mean Anna."

"Oh fuck you!" Ellie jumped toward Troi, but Joel caught her mid-flight. "I need you to sit down and shut up!" He shoved her in a chair in the corner, breathing deeply and looking at the away team. Picard stepped toward Maria again, Tommy taking a step toward him as well.

"We need to fix this. This virus shouldn't have happened."

"Yea no shit." Tommy hissed.

"You don't understand. This isn't how history is supposed to be. This fungus infection was spread by these aliens to end humanity."

"Well they did a damn good job." Joel huffed, still rubbing his hand on his holstered pistol.

"Unfortunately yes, they did. And it's time to correct what they did."

"If you're telling the truth, how are we supposed to help you all? You seem to know everything and have the tools to do it with." Maria asked. Riker walked over, next to Picard. "Since this wasn't supposed to happen, we don't have the details. Our past, the right past, is entirely different than yours. We don't know the when and how, but we know the who. That's why we need your help to know where the outbreak happened." He said.

"You can't figure that shit out yourselves?" Joel asked.

"No. We're here. If we're going to go back, we need to know more to prevent this." Picard answered.

"So you're talking about changing what happened? Making it like the CBI never happened?" Tommy asked.

"Oh yes. The last 20 years will have never happened." Picard said. Tommy looked at Joel, who looked at Maria, who looked back at them. "Hang on." Ellie said and stood up.

"Ellie, shush." Joel pleaded.

"No." She stepped between the two groups and looked up at Picard. "I'm sixteen. What the fuck is going to happen to me?"

Picard looked down at her. He saw through the tough face and saw worry for the first time. "Ellie, to be honest, I'm not sure. I don't know if you existed in our past or not. You may have, and time has a way of working itself out."

"You sound like you've done this shit before." Maria said.

"We have. Trust me." Riker rolled his eyes. Ellie turned and looked up at Joel. "So if this works, I just disappear?" She asked.

"Not now." Joel sighed and looked at Picard. "How did you get here?"

"Our ship."

"Your ship huh? Spaceship?"

"Starship. And she's beautiful." Chief O'Brien smiled.

"It's in orbit of Earth, above us." Troi added, knowing what was coming next.

"Show us." Joel said. Picard squinted, not sure if he wanted to take that step or not. "I'm not sure that's-"

"Listen here boss man." Joel stepped forward, a foot away from Picard's face. "You've just given us the biggest crock of horseshit I've heard, and that's saying something. You want me to buy this little sci-fi adventure you got going here, then you gotta give me something more than a robot opening his head and a psychic."

"Agreed." Maria nodded. Picard sighed. He didn't have much choice in the matter. "On one condition: nobody speaks of what they saw to anybody.

"We don't need a riot. You have my word." Tommy said. Joel nodded in agreement. "Very well then. But keep in mind, this is unlike-"

"Yea we get it. Now how do we get to your ship? You got a smaller one somewhere?" Joel asked.

"Not exactly." Picard tapped the combadge under his jacket. "Commander Worf?"

"Yes sir?"

"The away team is beaming up, and we're bringing three new friends with us."

"Sir?"

"You heard me, Commander. Beam us all to transporter room three."

"You mean four." Ellie said and stood next to Joel, who shoved her back. "You ain't going nowhere."

"Oh come on!" Ellie yelled and shoved his arm. "If we're going to a spaceship I'm totally fucking going. I told you I'd be an astronaut if I could!"

"We aren't talking about this. You're staying here."

"I say let her come." Counselor Troi smiled. "Yea, what the fucking know-it-all said! I'm fucking going!"

"Alright! Jesus, just….. fine." Joel threw his arms up. "Now, where are we going?"

Picard gave a smile. "Mr. Worf, make that four. Energize."

"Energize what?" Tommy asked. Ellie froze and howled. "HOLY FUUUUUU…..!"


End file.
